Date: 21 November 2005
Spotlight to shine on New Zealand performing arts at Australian market
Two New Zealand productions that reflect New Zealand’s distinctive talent, Indian Ink’s Krishnan’s Dairy and Makerita
Urale’s Frangipani Perfume, will feature at the 7th Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) with Creative New Zealand
support.
The largest performing arts market in the southern hemisphere and a vital platform for New Zealand performing artists
wanting to make their mark on the international stage, the biennal market will be held in Adelaide from 27 February – 3
March 2006.
Performing arts companies from New Zealand and Australia attend APAM to sell their shows through the spotlight
performances and networking opportunities. Among the 36 spotlight performances will be 25-minute excerpts from the two
New Zealand companies.
Creative New Zealand is also taking a delegation of 10 independent New Zealand producers to APAM where they will have
the opportunity to meet other producers, festival directors, venue managers and artists. More than 400 producers,
festival directors and venue managers from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Europe, North America, South America and
Asia are expected to attend the five-day event to buy shows that catch their attention.
Cath Cardiff, Manager, Audience and Market Development at Creative New Zealand, says the Australian Performing Arts
Market is about making connections, building ongoing relationships and opening doors.
“A New Zealand presence at APAM is a key plank of Creative New Zealand’s International Market Development programme,” Ms
Cardiff says. “It gives our performing artists and arts organisations access to the Australian market as well as other
important international markets and is a fantastic opportunity for New Zealand’s performing arts sector to sell their
work overseas.”
“New Zealand’s participation in the 2002 and 2004 Arts Markets was followed by significant interest, inquiries and
bookings for performances and tours by New Zealand performing arts companies,” Ms Cardiff continues.
Their performance at the 2002 spotlight programme was one of the sparks that ignited Black Grace Dance Company’s
international profile, including tours to Australia, the Netherlands, the United States and Mexico. Following their
performances in 2004 percussion group Strike acquired an international agent who is taking them to perform at the Taipei
International Percussion Conference this December and dancer/choreographer Raewyn Hill cemented relationships that led
to her production When Love Comes Calling being performed at the Sydney Opera House.
In addition to profiling the two spotlight companies, Creative New Zealand will promote other New Zealand performing
arts companies with ready-to-tour works through its booth, a publication Red Hot from New Zealand promoting 36 New
Zealand performing artists and companies, and a five minute promotional DVD featuring New Zealand artists and arts
organisations.
New Zealand’s presence at APAM is also valuable as it enables Creative New Zealand to target those key international
buyers attending to come to the New Zealand International Arts Festival immediately following the market to see
full-length New Zealand work in context.
The increasing awareness of and interest in New Zealand work means that international directors and producers are keen
to travel on to New Zealand from Adelaide to sample more New Zealand work after the market.
“These people are searching for that special must-have quality, the point of difference that makes a performance stand
out above the rest. For New Zealand, the freshness and diversity of our work, and its sense of place in the Pacific, are
among our strongest selling points.” Says Ms Cardiff. “So for a reasonably small investment in the Australian Performing
Arts Market from Creative New Zealand we are able to leverage a great deal
Creative New Zealand is working in partnership with the Australia Council for the Arts to support a New Zealand presence
at APAM for the fourth time.
ENDS